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This version gives you a fragrant, fluffy rice mixed with toppings that just lightly moisten the grains without binding them together or drowning them in sauce. You can, of course, tinker with the toppings to suit your taste -- fresh peas and basil, for example, would be delicious. The important things are the type and preparation of the rice, and the balance of wet and dry in the finished dish.
I have finally been convinced to wash my long-grain rice, as Madhur Jaffrey has long exhorted me, and the results are worth the trouble. She also recommends that you soak the rice for an hour or so before you cook it. I didn't find that soaking was necessary, though I'm sure it's nice, too.
WASHING THE RICE
Your object in washing the rice is to get rid of all the starch and other stuff clinging to the grains. This will make the rice taste better, more clearly like itself, and also ensures that there's nothing gummy or gluey about the finished product. A simple rinsing won't do the job -- you're going to need to go through several changes of water. It's easiest to do this by putting the rice in a fine-grained sieve. Put the sieve into a bowl and fill the bowl with cold water. Then swish the rice around in the sieve, pull the sieve out of the bowl, dump the water, and repeat until the water stays clear.
PREPPING THE TOPPINGS
Get your greens, about 12 ounces (one bunch) for two people. I used the "herb salad mix" from my local co-op, which has baby spinach and other baby greens, plus some fresh basil and dill. Wash thoroughly. Then, with just the water clinging to the leaves, cook over low heat in a closed pan until the greens are just cooked. Drain them, pressing out all excess liquid with the back of a spoon. When they are cool enough to handle, dump them out onto a cutting board and chop them roughly.
In a separate pile, chop a couple of cloves of garlic.
Toast about 6-10 walnut halves per person, in a toaster oven or on top of the stove in a cast-iron pan. Chop them coarsely.
Coarsely grate about 1/4 cup per person of parmesan or romano cheese.
COOKING THE RICE
Put the rice and a little less than 1.5 times the water, plus a teaspoon or so of salt for every cup of rice, into a pan with a tight-fitting lid. If you have 2 cups of rice, use 2 3/4 cups. For a cup of rice (about the right amount for two people for a main course), use one and a half cups of water, minus two tablespoons or so. Put the rice over high heat and bring to a rolling boil, then lower the heat to a simmer (not as low as it will go, but fairly low) and cover. If your lid is not a supremely tight fit, wrap it in a dishtowel for a better seal. Set your timer for 13 minutes. When it goes off, take the pan off the heat and leave it, covered, for 17 more minutes.
FINISHING THE TOPPINGS
When the rice is almost done, heat a tablespoon of good olive oil, and toss in the garlic. After a minute, add the greens, a pinch of salt, and a shake of cayenne. Cook just a moment more, until the greens are heated through. When the rice is ready, fluff it with a fork. Then fold in the greens. Stir in the cheese, and finally the walnuts. Add plenty of freshly ground black pepper and serve.
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